50. El Mariachi (1992), d. Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez may be a household name, but back in 1992 he was
an impoverished would-be filmmaker who raised $3,000 of the film's $7,000
shooting budget as a volunteer for experimental drug testing. Shot on
the streets of Coahuila, Mexico without storyboards (Rodriguez had no
crew to show them to), equipment (sound was record with a tape recorder
while most of the 'guns' were water pistols) and quite often actors
(many of the smaller roles were simply passers by), El Mariachi is
guerilla filmmaking at its most inventive. An action movie filmed for
the price of a second hand Ford Fiesta - Michael Bay, you have much
to learn.
49. Run Lola Run (1998, Ger.), d. Tom Tykwer
Brilliantly high concept, effortlessly executed by director Tom Tykwer
and kept at breakneck speed by leading lady Franka Potente, this
is one of the very best reasons to bury England's traditional
enmity with the Germans. The story follows three attempts, largely
in real time, by Lola (Potente) to get the 100,000 deutschmarks
needed to save her boyfriend's life. Tykwer basically riffs on
the same concept three times, ratcheting up the tension and building
up the pace with each attempt as the flame-haired Lola uses increasingly
inventive means of getting ahead. An object lesson in how to shoot
at speed, this smashes the stereotype of the talky, heavy European
indie.
48. Cube (1997, Can.), d. Vincenzo Natali
Cube is proof - if proof were needed - that you only need simple
concept to make an arresting, interesting film. Taking a small group
of people, a confined space and a heavy dose of sinister mystery,
Vincenzo Natali probes the darker reaches of human nature, placing
his unwitting characters in the ultimate prison: a network of revolving
chambers interspersed with intricate (and oft-fatal) traps. Cube was
shot in one-and-a-half 14' by 14' chambers and the director blagged
free visual effects from a Toronto-based company keen to show their
support for domestic movie making. The result is a tense and often
terrifying tale, that outshines and outscares any number of budget-heavy,
studio horrors.
47. Blood Feast (1963), d. Herschell Gordon Lewis
Without Herschell Gordon Lewis' low budget gore-fest, there would
be no Halloween, no Evil Dead
et al, and basically half of the '80s video industry would be missing.
This no-budget effort was the birth of splatter. In fact, it's fair
to say that with his entrail packed (however loosely) exploitationer,
marketing guru Lewis opened the abattoir doors for 'meat content'
in films generally - and that includes the likes of ear severing,
and faces melting before the wrath of God. Even if you leave the gore
aside, the film raked in $4 million from a budget of $24,500. Impressive
by any studio outsider's standards.
46. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), d. Tobe
Hooper
With its air of eerie verisimilitude, Tobe Hooper's chilling horror
stands light years apart from the other film based on the gory exploits
of the real-life serial killer, Ed Gein. Shot for around $140,000,
with money allegedly re-routed from the success of runaway porn hit, Deep
Throat, it's Chainsaw's dead-eyed, almost cinema verite
approach that truly unnerves. The dinner scene, where Marilyn Burns
comes dangerously close to having her head smashed in with a hammer,
is the most memorable example of Hooper's edgy approach - something
he would never capture again in a career that has since gone spectacularly
off the rails.
45. Mad Max (1979, Aus.), d. George Miller
Australians love their cars – something Dr. George Miller was
well aware of when he changed careers from physician to filmmaker.
Not letting a paltry budget of $400,000 phase him, he fused the cult
American sci-fi flick A Boy And His Dog with his own penchant
for seeing muscle cars and road bikes moving fast and coming to a
scattered end. Acknowledging a massive thirst for automotive action
and raking in more than $100 million, it spawned one superior sequel
(still one of the greatest 'real' action films), which in turn led
to dozens of cheap 'post apocalyptic warzone' straight-to-video jobs.
44. Amores Perros (2000, Mex.), d. Alejandro Gonzales
Inarritu
21 Grams may have grabbed the Oscar headlines, but Alejandro
González Iñárritu perfected his techniques in
overlapping storylines, stunning cinematography and the creative
use of car crashes in this Mexican smash about three separate lives
linked together by one common event. Remarkable for its stellar performances
from a cast previously unknown outside their home country, for taking
the fractured narrative to a whole new level, and for tackling subjects
that studios avoid like the plague - dog fighting, anyone? - this
burst like a firework on the indie world, and acted as a wake-up
call to the US indie scene. You're not the only ones setting the
pace now, guys.
43. Shadows (1959), d. John Cassavetes
Inventing American indie cinema before QT was even born, writer-director
John Cassavetes' debut feature is a rough hewn landmark. Taking
a subject matter that '50s Hollywood wouldn't touch with
a barge-pole - the tensions within a black family arising when
a young woman (Leila Goldoni) starts dating white men - Cassavetes
ignores all the tricks of the mainstream to jazz up his simple story,
instead opting for an almost home movie approach where you are allowed
to get under the skin of the central character. It may seem somewhat
dated now but as both a document of 60s Bohemian New York and the
birth of American indie, this is essential.
42. Swingers (1996), d. Doug Liman
A true indie, this one, given that large sections of
this film - in the casino, and on the highway - were shot
without the proper permits, while director and stars pretended that
the camera was turned off as the cops stood by. But the results of
this largely plotless story of friends rallying round their suddenly
single pal are undeniable. One of the very best buddy comedies out
there, embraced by men the world over as somehow descriptive of their
twenties, it's a perfect example of what happens when that strange
alchemy between cast, crew, script and tone all work perfectly.
41. Dead Man's Shoes (2004, UK), d. Shane Meadows
Most films on this list are here because of the man
behind the camera. In this case, and with no disrespect to Shane Meadows'
assured direction, it's the stunning turn by its star and co-writer,
Paddy Considine that's won it a place. He's the central character,
an ex-soldier who returns to his hometown and brings down a world
of pain on the men who bullied his younger brother. A showcase for
a deserving actor, and a perfect example of the indie sector's ability
to tackle storylines that studios would shy away from, this is one
of the finest British films in years.
40. The Descent (2005, UK), d. Neil Marshall
Howling onto the scene with surprise werewolf hit, Dog
Soldiers, Neil Marshall surpassed himself with this claustrophobic
follow-up that sees six female potholers trapped in the dark, far
underground. Set in the US (where these things more routinely seem
to happen) but shot at Pinewood and on location in Scotland, The
Descent is
by far and away the best Brit horror in years. It's achievement is
unrelenting terror - hell, the film wrings out a succession of solid
scares before the film's primary menace is even introduced! Ultimately
a simple concept, this is skillfully executed, with a well-balanced
character dynamic underpinning Marshall's expert grasp of horror
filmmaking.
39. The Passion Of The Christ (2004, It./US), d.
Mel Gibson
It almost defies belief that an R-rated, independent
film, shot entirely in two dead languages went on to make $370 million
at the box office. Even more so considering that distributors, mindful
of the inevitable controversy, originally wouldn't touch it with a
ten-foot Roman spear. But Mel Gibson's vision did pay off and despite
the bluster of indignant religious leaders and the righteous smiting
of the Lord (two crew members, including star Jim Caviezel, were struck
by lightning during the shoot) the film succeeded: spreading the gospel
and raking in an ungodly amount of cash for good measure.
38. Grosse Point Blank (1997), d. George Armitage
John Cusack's turn as repentant hit man Martin
Blank marks the single greatest '80s throwback, killer-for-hire rom-com
ever made. You know the story: boy meets girl, boy stands up girl
on prom night, girl's heart is broken, boy becomes professional killer.
It's an age-old tale and, thanks to Cusack's charming killer and a
fresh-faced appearance from Minnie Driver, manages to be both charmingly
romantic (he literally kills for her) and darkly comic. This remains
the only film from screenwriter Tom Jankiewicz and a delightfully
different romcom that stands head and shoulders above its peers -
and boasts a more impressive bodycount to boot.
37. Being John Malkovich (1999), d. Spike Jonze
This film makes the list for one simple reason: it proved,
once and for all, that a film doesn't have to make any sense to be
great. Impossible to sum up in any thirty-second studio pitch - low
ceilings, puppets, and a sinister conspiracy focusing on John Malkovich's
brain and the New Jersey turnpike are all involved. But what's great
is that Charlie Kaufman's insane script, Spike Jonze's delirious direction
and a cast of A-listers playing wackily against type somehow add up
to one of the cleverest, silliest and utterly weirdest films you'll
ever see.
36. Buffalo '66 (1998), d. Vincent Gallo
Get it straight - Vincent Gallo doesn't give a f--k what you think
about his movie. It's brilliant, and if you can't see that then it's
your own tough luck. He's so fiercely independent he uses Yes on the
soundtrack. And you know what? He's absolutely right. This film is
a mini masterpiece. Using only a small but highly talented crew and
cast, he bombards us with belligerent, unlikeable characters for 100-odd
minutes, and manages to make the most saccharine of endings - about
the power of love, of all things - appetising. A beautifully balanced
debut from a precocious talent - surely what indie is all about?
35. THX-1138 (1971), d. George Lucas
Before there was 
Star Wars, George Lucas made this dystopian
vision of a future in a galaxy quite close by. Robert Duvall plays
the eponymous THX-1138, a worker in a society where sex is outlawed
and drugs used to control the populace, who rebels and begins the
search for a better life. What's remarkable in this film are the visuals
- the sterile, almost colourless world and menacing robot police provide
a stark backdrop for the increasingly passionate feelings of the central
characters. Lucas' visions may have become bigger and more colourful
as he developed his career, but nothing since has mixed intellectual
debate and action so effectively.
34. The Blair Witch Project (1999), d. Daniel Myrick,
Eduardo Sanchez
The scariest movie ever made? Of course not but you'd
never have known it through the hype that surrounded Blair Witch
upon release. Not bad for a film shot for $35,000 on a camera bought
at Wal-Mart (and subsequently returned for a refund). The film was
almost entirely improvised by the three leads (who were often just
as terrified as the audience) and initially passed off as a documentary,
a ruse given credence by an entirely fictitious web-based backstory.
It's far from the most frightening cinema experience imaginable but
an ingenious piece of creative filmmaking it certainly is.
33. Shallow Grave (1994, UK), d. Danny Boyle
A wave of hype followed this thriller, almost swamping
it under proclamations that the British were coming, that Scotland
was sexy, that Ewan McGregor might do well for himself. Well, that's
all true - but there's more to Shallow Grave than a (temporary)
reinvigoration of British cinema. Danny Boyle's immensely stylish
tale of dead bodies, a suitcase full of money and rampant paranoia
is an inspired blend of pitch-black comedy and bloody violence, held
together by career-making performances and scathing wit. Three central
characters this flawed are a rare sight in American cinema - even
in the independent sector - which, along with the sheer panache of
this film, make it a must-see.
32. Two Lane Blacktop (1971), d. Monte Hellman
As much a testament to Godfather of American indie cinema
Monte Hellman (he was the rain check director for at least two films
on this list) as the film itself, this is his best effort behind the
megaphone, and the best of the post-
Easy Rider road movies of the '70s.
On the surface it ticks a lot of cliché boxes - European influence
(Antonioni), absence of dialogue, arcless characters and an unresolved
plot, but rather than coming across as pretentious, it's precisely
this ambiguity - along with the avoidance of simply being a love poem
to the open road - that continues to hold audiences.
31. Pink Flamingos (1972), d. John Waters
Let's get the dog turd out of the way first. Yes, Divine
does wolf down a real live, freshly laid parcel of pooch poo in John
Waters' trashy cult classic, but that's not reason alone for its place
on this list. And it's not just it's rather shoddy production values
either (independent doesn't mean badly made). Instead, Pink Flamingos
is on this list because of the sheer chutzpah of Waters' story - two
families compete with each to see who can be the most disgusting -
and willingness to push back the barriers of tat, taste and what audiences
were willing to tolerate waaaaay back in 1972. Without Waters, we
might never have had the literal flood of jizz/piss/poo jokes that
assailed us all in recent years. Believe it or not, but that's something
to thank him for. |
50
Greatest Independent Films: Empire
Magazine, a decidedly pro-British film magazine, offered
their picks for the bravest, most innovative, and most creative
films - the "ultimate indie lineup" of 50 of the best
non-studio works ever made. Descriptions of choices for the 50
Greatest Independent Films are excerpted below from the Empire
Magazine website.